Wonder Woman Sings!: An Interview with Lynda Carter

I was fortunate enough to steal a few moments of Lynda’s time and have her answer some questions about her impressive career, what she’s working on these days, her thoughts on some pop cultural things—both past and present, and more!

While fans are probably most familiar with her iconic portrayal of Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, it should also be noted that Lynda Carter is a successful songstress. She’s currently traveling the U.S. with her The Time of My Life tour, and performs this upcoming weekend at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Following are some questions that she so graciously took the time to answer:

You’ve appeared on Broadway, in London’s West End, and regularly tour with your cabaret show. It may surprise some of your old school fans to hear that Wonder Woman sings. Is there anything else that you enjoy doing that would surprise your fans?
I love to go sculling on the Potomac River and glide past the bridges and memorials of Washington, D.C. where I live. It’s a sport I took up about 5 years ago, and its great exercise. I own 2 sculls and on a nice day, I try to get out on the river.

On your most recent album, Crazy Little Things, you not only cover songs by such musical greats as Al Green, Carole King, and Queen, but you’ve also written an original track, “Jessie’s Song.” Do you enjoy the songwriting experience and do you plan to write more original material for a future album?

I enjoy the creative process of songwriting and have been collaborating with two gifted Nashville musicians, Kerry Marx and John Jarvis (who has won two Grammys for songwriting). We recently completed “Jamie’s Song” which I am now performing—written about a mother’s experience watching her son mature. And I am continuing to write.

Who were some of your favorite singers growing up?
So many—Billie Holiday, Patsy Cline, and Ella Fitzgerald, were a few I loved.

I love that you chose to record James Taylor’s “Secret of Life,” on your album, At Last. It is such a lovely song and you perform it beautifully. What music are you currently listening to/influenced by?
Again, so many immensely talented artists that I currently listen to: Adele, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Sara Bareilles. All have the ability to touch you with their gift.

You’re performing this weekend at the Kennedy Center. What is it like to live outside the nation’s capital? What are some of your favorite places in D.C.?
It’s the most beautiful city in the world in my opinion. I love visiting the Lincoln Memorial at night, walking up the steps, and looking back at the Capitol and the Washington Monument lit up. And,of course, the Kennedy Center. A thrill every time we play there.

There are now several cable networks dedicated to airing “retro” programming. What do you think about new generations of people discovering the Wonder Woman TV series for the first time?
It is so gratifying that this iconic, uniquely American character continues to touch people.

Superheroes have become big business, even Ant-Man is getting his own feature film. There have been a lot of stops and starts, but I’m confident that we will one day have a Wonder Woman movie. Would you like to finally see Wonder Woman on the big screen?
I would love it. I think it’s long overdue and I’m sure there are many others who feel the same.

It’s always exciting to find out that you’ll be appearing on TV or in the movies. You recently guest starred on Two and a Half Men and also appeared in one of my favorite comedies, Super Troopers. Any other acting roles in the pipeline?
I have been sent some interesting scripts but the shooting schedules have conflicted with concert dates which are set and hard to move.

On Monday mornings in our office, it seems like people have to fight over who gets to discuss either Walking Dead or Downton Abbey first. Do you have any current must-see shows on TV?
We are in a golden age of scripted television–love Downton Abbey, House of Cards, Homeland, Game of Thrones, Orange is the New Black, and Fargo to name some that I think are wonderful. Just finished catching up with The Wire and Breaking Bad. And the CSI shows are always fun.

You were once on Battle of the Network Stars… would you ever consider going on another celebrity competition show like Dancing with the Stars?
No, I have been asked but those days are behind me. I love them but don’t have the time. I’d rather be singing with my band.

Since our website is all about sharing favorite “retro” memories, we’d like to know any of your favorite things from growing up. Is there a favorite TV show, commercial, board game, toy, etc. that sticks in your mind to this day?
Oddly enough….Barbie! And now I am one!

Finally: Clearly you were “born with it”, but do you ever sometimes feel like maybe it’s Maybelline?
Yes, many times I thank my lucky stars for having the ability to put on a bit of makeup before I have to face the world.

Weren’t those some great answers? I’m so grateful to have had the chance to ask my questions, and I look forward to showing this article in a few years to my own little wonder women.

For more information about Lynda’s upcoming events, visit lyndacarter.com, follow her on twitter@reallyndacarter, or like her on Facebook: OfficialLyndaCarter

It's all just pops and clicks within the vinyl groove I'm listening to. Music, movies, commercials, action figures, cassette tapes...anything that you left in your parents' attic when you moved. I want to talk about it.-DJ Darko, Your Pop Culture Mixologist